Hardwood Floor Cleaning and Cleaners
Important care for you floors

Hardwood floor cleaners are generic maintenance material for most kinds of wooden floors. As wood floors cannot be fully insulated from everyday grime, food, spills, and water, one needs more than sweeping and vacuuming to preserve their lustre and looks. Professionally recommended hardwood floor cleaners should be used for all floors of non-laminated varieties.

While using a hardwood floor cleaner, it is important to do as prescribed by the manufacturer. Maintenance cleaning with a proper cleaner should follow a schedule and at regular intervals. General cleaning for normal floors using hardwood floor cleaners is recommended once a week with minor dustings in between. But heavy duty floors, specially those subjected to high traffic, should be cleaned more frequently with a sweep, a dust/dry mop, and a hardwood floor cleaner.

I love hardwood floors. So much so that I pay considerably more to live in an apartment that's got 'em. Having always had pets, carpet has never been very practical and I do like the look of a well made (wooden) chair and table above a rich hardwood floor. I have been in the process of trying what I think must be just about every floor cleaner on earth to find the best hardwood floor product.

images/hardwood-floor_doorways.jpgMy neighbors use both Method Wood and Pine Sol and say they have not noticed much difference. I've been trying Murphy's Oil Soap but iI am not quite so keen. I do like my flooring to look the way it did when they're wet. That means a really bright shine. They aren't in terrible shape just a little dull and I want them to be shiny and vibrant! It seems that I am in for a hard time achieving that.

Some hardwood floor cleaners re specifically made for floors coated with polyurethane and other non-wax coatings. They have a neutral ph so as not to "eat away" at the coatings. If you have a polyurethane topcoat, do not wax your floor. Other suitable cleaners include Bona, Basic and Zep.

The Bona mop is a popular floor cleaning utensile and it has both elasticized 100% cotton terry and optional microfiber bonnets. The narrower Micro Plus mop also, we understand, features microfiber covers that adhere to the base. Use the narrower STARFIBER® mop easily to clean into tight spaces like around toilet bases.

Bona Floor cleaners are described as water-based, environmentally responsible cleaners formulated for wood floor cleaning. Clean all polyurethane hardwood flooring, factory pre-finished wood floors, and no-wax vinyl floors. Bona Hard Surface is formulated to clean all laminate wood floors, ceramic tile, vinyl, marble and granite floors. Also perfect for cleaning stainless steel appliances. BonaX® will not dull finishes and leaves no residue.

The Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Care System is advertised as an easy-to-use maintenance program for all wood floors. That hardwood luster you love can last for years with the help of Orange Glo! - they say.

Armstrong offers specialized floor care products and tips to help extend the life of your floor. Our experience, research, and technology produce premium floor care products for almost every type of floor.

Always use a wood cleaner that is specifically formulated for your floor. Certain cleaners are for specific floors and not all are created equal.

It's important wherever possible to use green cleaning products on your hardwood floors. Green products should not only be safe for the environment, but also compatible with the type of hardwood you have. It won't do you any good to use a natural-based floor cleaner if it leads to irreparable floor damage!

Look after your hardwood floors and they will be not only beautiful; but also a great investment. Some traditional cleaning methods can be damaging to wood. By using a plain mop and bucket, you can saturate floors with excess water, which can cause the wood to swell or buckle. Additionally, inappropriate cleaners may leave a dull residue so do take care!

by Steve Evans - February 2009

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